faehnrich
Now the real reason I got Gravity's Lament onto the intergalactic network.

Anyone have social transmission protocols for Silent Helper robots? One ended up floating by and decided to keep building habitats and I need to know how to nicely ask them to stop.

I keep getting lost in all the new tunnels and corridors someone please help me.
Sep 6, 2025 at 2:41amWeb
Show threadJames Andrews [Jupiter's Ghost]Sep 6, 2025

@faehnrich have you tried talking to them? A lot of the helpers can process speech. Some of them even fit voice boxes to respond.

Unfortunately, at least as far as I'm aware, if they haven't interacted with humans before ... Well it can be a journey to reach understanding.

Show threadfaehnrichSep 6, 2025
@jandrews wait, communicating with them. I'm now "the communications guy" aren't I, just because I turned on a transmitter. great I have a job now.

not someone with a linguistics background. I'm the one to find a shared language with this wandering bot, and not just a shared language, but also explain that we use vibrations in air instead of radio waves.
Show threadfaehnrichSep 6, 2025
I want to sleep but the construction noise right outside the hull is deafening.

I lost my composure and started pounding back on the hull.
Show threadfaehnrichSep 6, 2025
wait, they must have felt the pounding through the hull, because they just pounded the same rhythm back.

Ok, I think I can establish communication with them. I just have to establish a simple pattern as a baseline, then build up from there to more complex patterns. I'll also try to form a shared language of simple things/ideas. I think this will work.
Show threadfaehnrichSep 6, 2025
No nevermind, they are now pounding back a sick beat.

My pounding must have been just random noise and not communication at all. I think they felt a need to "help" fix my broken rhythm.
Show threadfaehnrichSep 6, 2025
oh heck yeah we got a sweet drum jam session going now
Show threadfaehnrichSep 6, 2025
It seems we woke up someone else who was trying to sleep. When they radioed us to stop, the Silent Helper said sorry but asked if they can check up on the poor human who seems only capable of communicating with terrible rhythm.
Show threadAndrew (Television Executive)Sep 7, 2025
@faehnrich Duet album when?
Show threadJames Andrews [Jupiter's Ghost]Sep 7, 2025
@faehnrich I know what you mean. One day, I'm just some dude joining the space corps. The next day I'm personally responsible for what's left of the Encyclopedia Solarica.
Show threadJames Andrews [Jupiter's Ghost]Sep 7, 2025

@faehnrich I did unearth an article from the partial backup of the Solarica. https://intergalactic.computer/social/solarica/silent-helpers/

It's not exactly enlightening, but it might be useful?

The captain tells me that Azure was last on the ship 8 standard years ago, so it's clearly not the most up to date article.

Silent Helpers

Technical DetailsDesignation: Mechanical Sentients (Origin: Unknown) Homeworld: The Builder’s World (Designation: Xylos // Coordinates: Classified) Communication: Modulated Radio Wave Transmission (Requires Receiver for Interpretation. Many Helpers wear their own receiver for easier communication.

Intergalactic Social